Mosaic

Duration:

10'

Mosaic was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society for the Philharmonia Orchestra's Music of Today series.

The title of the work refers to its construction from three distinct types of material that interlock in various alternating patterns. The first of these, a boisterous fanfare for the brass instruments of the ensemble, begins the work but is swiftly followed by a more lyrical idea featuring predominantly the bassoon as a soloist in its high register. After a little time, a third musical idea appears: a rhythmic line for bass clarinet, alto flute and marimba, accompanied by interjections from the piano. Though these contrasting musical ideas are initially presented discretely from one another in succession, they later appear super imposed upon one another in a more contrapuntal fashion towards the music’s climax.